Button-attaching implement.



No. 679,442. Patented July 3o, 190|.

J. H. vmToN.

-BUTTN ATTAEHING IMPL-EMENT.

(Applicatnn led Jan. 19, 1901.) Urlo Model.) 2 Sheds-Sheet l.

w@ www No. 679,442. Patented luly 30, i90-I. J. H. VINTDN.

BUTTON ATTAGHING IMPLEMENT. (Application med Jam 194, 1901.) (No Model.)

M M @mmm-m 5o is a section on line 1111, Fig. 9.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.IOIIN H. VINTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ROBERT AMORY, OFBAR HARBOR, MAINE.

BUTTONI-ATTACHING IMPLEM ENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N0. 679,442, dated. July 30,1901.

Application iiled January 3.9, 1901. Serial No. 43,924. (No model.)

To all whom zit may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. VINTGN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Sudolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented new and useful Improvements in Tools for Attaching Buttonsto Garments by Wire Fasteners, (Oase B,) of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to produce a convenient, cheap, andpractical hand-tool for attaching buttons to clothing and the like bymeans of wire fasteners, and is in certain features,notably theclenching-die and spring'- pressed button-holder, the same inconstruction and operation as another hand-tool for a like purpose forwhich I have made application for Letters Patent of the United States ofeven date herewith.

The invention consists in certain improved devices for holding thebutton, for holding the fastener, and for guiding and inserting the legsof said fastener through the fabric and through holes in a button heldby a spring-pressed button-holder and then turning said legs across thefront face of said button, back through holes therein and again into thematerial.

The invention further consists in the combination and arrangement ofparts set forth in the following specification, and particularly pointedout in the claim thereof.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l isaside elevation of my improvedhand-tool, showing the jaws open. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinalsection of the same with the jaws closed, the handles in elevation. Fig.3 is a vertical section, taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2, with a button,button-fastener, and a section of the material held therein. Fig. 4 is ahorizontal section taken on line 44, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is an underneathplan of the button-holder held by the upper jaw of the tool. Fig. 6 is adetail side and end elevation of the clenching-die. Fig. 7 is anenlarged plan view of the button, button-fastener, and a portion ofthefabric to which said button is fastened. Fig. 8

is a section taken on line 8 8, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a top plan view of abutton-locator. Fig. l0 is a section on line 10 10, Fig. 9. Fig. l1 Fig.12 is a perspective view of the wire fastener.

Like numerals or letters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews of the drawings.

In the drawings, 20 2l are the handles, and 22 23 the jaws, of myimproved hand-tool. The handle 2O and button-jaw 22 are formed in onepiece and the handle 21 and fastenerjaw 23 are also formed in one piece,and said handles are joined together by a pivotal stud 24. Thebutton-jaw 22 has a clenching-die 25,fast thereto by a set-screw 26. Theclenching-die 25, Figs. 2 and 6, consists of a cylindrical block ofsteel having a head portion 27 and a shank portion 28. The head portion27 of said die is convexly curved upon the under side thereof and has aflange 29 thereon, which is formed to tit in a chamber 30 in thespring-pressed button-holder 3l. `The shank 28 is encircled by a spiralspring 32, one end of which bears against the [lange 29 and the otheragainst the shoulder 33 in said button holder. The button-holder 31 isadapted to slide lengthwise upon the shank of the clenching-die 25 in adirection at right angles to the face of said die and is prevented fromturning upon said shank, and thus changing its location with relationthereto in a plane parallel to the face thereof, by a tongue 79 upon thecollar 34, which projects into and tits a notch 80 on the spring-pressedbutton-holder 3l. It will be seen that the action of the spring 32 is tohold the buttonholder 31 up against the collar 34, said collar beingpinned to the die-shank 28 and with its upper face resting against theunder side of the jaw 22. The die-shank 28 is shouldered at 35, and saidshoulder rests against the under side of the jaw 22.

In the under face of the head portion 27 of the clenching-die 25 are twogrooves 36, parallel to each other and standing at forty-five degrees tothe longitudinal median line a of the tool, said grooves being for thepurpose of turning over and clenching the legs of the fastener, ashereinafter described. In order to set the grooves 36 at forty-livedegrees with the longitudinal median line a, the top of the shank 28 hasa notch 37 cut across to the center thereof, leaving a straight face 38thereon, which stands at an angle of forty-five degrees with the grooves36 and at right angles to said median line a. A plate 39, fast to theIOO Kil

jaw 22 by a screw 40 and a dowel-pin, (not sl1o\vn,) bears against theface 38 and lines it up, so that the grooves 36 are necessarily setcorrectly at forty-five degrees to the median line a.

Two pins 46, fast to the button-holder 3.1, lo-

cate the center of the button iny line with the center of the die' 25.

48 therein, forming the four corners of a square, in which 47 and 47 arediagonally opposite each other and 48 48 are also diagonally oppositeeach other. It is necessarythat the button shall be placed in the holder3l with the holes 47 47 exactly on the median line a of the tool, sothat when the legs of the fastener are forced through th-e material towhich said button is fastened said legs shall register with the holes 47in the button and shall pass through said holes, to be turned over andlback by the grooves 36 in the die 25. To accomplish this, I provide abutton-locator 49, for which I have m ade application for Letters Patentof the United States of even date herewith.

The button-locator 49 has a handle 50 and a carrier-slide 51. Saidcarrier-slide 51 has a circular depression 52 therein to receive abutton 42 and two pins 53 53, arranged to enter diagonally oppositeholes 48 48 in said button.. The carrier-slide 51 has two parallelsid-es 54 54 at a distance apart equal to the distance between theparallel side walls 43 in the button-holder 3l and less than thedia-meter of said circular depression, so that the perimeter of saiddepression intersects the sides 54 and is cut away by them, so as toallow the rim of a button placed in said depression to project beyondsaid sides.

To place the button 42 in the button-holder 31 and in the correctlocation therein, with the holes 47 48 located in proper relation 'tothe die-grooves 36 and to the legs of the fastener 56, held by theyielding fastener-holder 66, said button is firs-t placed by hand in thedepression 52 in the button-locator, with the pins 53 projecting throughtwo diagonally opposite holes 48 48 in said button. The button 42 isthen carried forward by the locator 49, with the rim 45 projectingbeyond the sides 54 of said carrier-plate and into the grooves 44, saidparallel sides 54 of the carrier 51 sliding between and guided by theparallel side walls 43 of the button-holder 31 until the rim 45 ofthe'button abuts against the pins 46. As the button is pushed forward inthe slot 41, with the rim 45 thereof guided in the grooves 44, said rimcomes in contact with the lower rounded face portion of the die 25 andforces said button-holder downwardly against the action of the spring32.

When the rim 45 has passed the head27, the spring 32V forces thebutton-holder upwardly, and the lower rounded-face portion of the dieenters the depression 55 in the head of the button and thespring-pressed button-holderholds j said button in proper position, withthe holes therein located to register with the legs of the fastener whensaid fastener is forced through the material and into said holes. Thebutton-locator 49 is now withdrawn by lowering the saine until the pins53 are clear of the button 42 and the sides 54 are clear of contact withthe side Walls 43 of the buttonn holder 3l. The button 42 has four holes47 47 and 48 The fastener 56, Fig. l2, by which the button is attachedto the material, is formed of a single piece of wire bent in an S shapeto form the head 57 thereof, and the two free ends of sai-d wire arebent at right angles to the head portion 57 to form the legs 58 58thereof and at a distance apart equal to the distance between the holes47 47 in said button.

The fastener 56 is held in a guide-passage 72, formed in fastener-holder66. Said fastener-holder 66 is pivoted upon the pivotal stud 24 betweenthe handles 2O and 2l and is supported byaspiral spring 73,0neendthereof bearing against the lower jaw 23 and the other against saidfastener-holder. The guide-passage 72 for the fastener 56 extends fromthe upper face of the fastener-holder 66 into a cylindrical chamber 71,which extends from the bottom of the guide-passage 72 to the bottoin'ofthe fastener-holder 66 and forms a bearing for the base 68 of thereciprocatory anvil 69. Said anvil 69 consists of a piece of steelhaving a cylindrical base 68, the upper portion fitted to slide in theguide-passage 72, and both passage and anvil are shaped incross-section, Fig. 4, of an outline corresponding to the outside of thehead 57 of said fastener. This outline is substantially formed of twosemicircular curves b b, located upon opposite sides of the median linea and joined together by the straight walls c c. The fastener-holder 66is normally held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by the spring 73 and isprevented from side motion by the guide-ears 74, between which thefastener-holder arm 67 plays in the slot 75. The front edges 65 of theguide-ears 74 are formed upon a curve struck from the center of thepivotal stud 24 and bear against a likecurved face 64 upon thefastener-holder 66, thus firmly holding said anvil-holder as it swingsupon said stud, as hereinafter described. The lower end of theanvil-base 68 rests upon the upper face of the ear 63 on the jaw 23.

The operation of the tool in securing a button to elothingby means of awire fastener is as follows: Assuming the jaws 22 and 23 to be apart,asin Fig. 1, the button 42 is placed in the button-locator 49 and by ittransferred to the button-holder 31, as hereinbefore described. Thefastener 56 is then inserted in the guide-passage 72 of the yieldingfastener- IOO IIO

holder 66, Fig. 4, with the head 57 on the anvil 69 and the legs 58projecting upwardly therefrom and against the side walls c cin theguidepassage 72 of said fastener-holder 66. The goods or fabric is nowplaced between the yielding fastener holder or guide G6 and thespring-pressed button-holder 3l and the handles brought together,closing said jaws sufiiciently to enable the operator to locate thebutton in the position desired on the goods. Upon a continued closing ofthe jaws the fastener guide and holder 66 yields and swings downwardlyupon its pivot 24, overcoming the action of the spring 73 and allowingthe anvil 69 to push the fastener 56 up through the guide passage 72,and thus force the legs of the fastener through the fabric and throughthe holes 47 47 in the button 42 until the points of said legs come incontact with the die 25 in the grooves 36 thereof, at which time aboutone-half of the length of the legs of the fastener, together with thehead thereof, remain in the guide-passage 72. Upon still further closingthe jaws the fastener will be forced entirely out of the guidepassage 72by the anvil 69 turning the legs 58 along said grooves across the frontface of the button from the holes 47 to the holes 48, or at an angle offorty-live degrees to the median line of the tool, then turning saidlegs down through said holes 48, through the button again, through thematerial, and clenching the points of said legs against the head 57ofthe fastener 56, (see Figs. 7and 8,) said head resting at such timeand throughout the operation hereinbefore described upon the anvil G9.The handles and jaws are now opened and the button disconnected from theholder 3l by pulling it forward by means of the material 76, to which itis now attached, through and out the front ends of the grooves 44 insaid button-holder.

It will be seen and understood that when the fabric is held between thelower face of the button-holder 3l and the upper face of the yieldingfastener-holder and guide 66 the points of the legs 58 are at that timenot quite touching the under surface of said fabric, and that the legsof the fastener stand at right angles to said surface and register withthe holes 47 47 in the button, and as the legs are forced through thefabric and button, as hereinbefore described, the upper face of thefastener-holder is kept parallel to the lower face of the button-holder,and consequently the fastener-legs always held at right angles to theface of the button and in line with the holes 47 therein during theprocess of forcing said legs into the fabric and through the button, andthis result is attained. through pivoting the fastener-holder 66 uponthe same center as the jaw 22, to which the button-holder andclenching-die are attached, so that there is no tendency for lthe legsof the fastener to be forced in any direction by the anvil other than atright angles to the face of the clenching-die. As the jaws are beingclosed, as hereinbefore described, it will be seen that the lower end ofthe anvilbase 68 will slide along the upper face of the ear 68 on thejaw 23, and vice versa, the parts assuming the relative positionsindicated in Fig. 2 when the jaws are closed.

It is evident that buttons of varying designs and contour and with adiderent number of holes therein and also that different shapes anddesigns of fasteners may be used and the tool varied to fit and handlesaid buttons and fasteners without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to securebyLetters Patent, 1s-

A tool for attaching buttons to garments by wire fasteners comprising apair of jaws and a fastener-holder therebetween, each having a commonpivotal center, a guide-passage in said fastener-holder to receive andguide a fastener, an anvil supported upon one of said jaws and arrangedto slide in a chamber in said fastener-holder, a clenching-die fast tothe other of said jaws, a button-holder, and a spring, said springencircling said clenchingdie and acting upon said button-holder in sucha manner as to press a button held by said button-holder against theface of said i clenching-die.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN I-I. VINTON. Vitnesses:

CHARLES S. GooDiNG, Josnrri M. WIGGIN.

